Biography
Ken Watanabe (born October 21, 1959) is a Japanese stage, film, and television actor. To English-speaking audiences he is known for playing tragic hero characters, such as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi in Letters from Iwo Jima and Lord Katsumoto Moritsugu in The Last Samurai, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Among other awards, he has won the Japan Academy Prize for Best Actor twice, in 2007 for Memories of Tomorrow and in 2010 for Shizumanu Taiyō. He is also known for his roles in director Christopher Nolan's Hollywood blockbusters Batman Begins and Inception.
Acting credits 45 titles
Samurai Vengeance
as Kinji Shinoda
Film
2026
8.8
The Final Piece
as Shigeyoshi Toumyo
Film
2025
9.4
Kokuho
as Hanjiro Hanai
Film
2025
7.9
Unbound
as Tamema Okitsugu
Series
2025
9.3
TRUE COLORS
as Taichirou Tsujimura
Series
2025
8.0
All Lives
Film
2024
6.7
Kensuke's Kingdom
as Kensuke (voice)
Film
2024
7.1
True Love: Making The Creator
as Self
Film
2023
8.0
The Creator
as Harun
Film
2023
7.0
Tokyo Vice
as Hiroto Katagiri
Series
2022–2024
7.9
Toubousha
Series
2020
7.0
劇場の灯を消すな！PARCO劇場編
Film
2020
7.0
Fukushima 50
as Masao Yoshida
Film
2020
6.5
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
as Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
Film
2019
6.7
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
as Lieutenant Hide Yoshida
Film
2019
6.9
Bel Canto
as Katsumi Hosokawa
Film
2018
5.5
Isle of Dogs
as Head Surgeon (voice)
Film
2018
7.9
7 Guardians of the Tomb
as Father
Film
2018
5.3
Rage
as Yohei Maki
Film
2016
6.9
The Sea of Trees
as Takumi Nakamura
Film
2016
6.2
The Secret Lives of Kyoto Folk
as 東雲朔太郎
Series
2015–
8.8
Transformers: Age of Extinction
as Drift (voice)
Film
2014
6.0
Godzilla
as Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
Film
2014
6.4
Inception
as Saito
Film
2010
8.4
Shanghai
as Tanaka
Film
2010
6.1
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
as Mr. Tall
Film
2009
5.9
Earth
as Narrator (voice)
Film
2007
7.7
Letters from Iwo Jima
as General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
Film
2006
7.5
Memoirs of a Geisha
as Chairman
Film
2005
7.6
Batman Begins
as Ra's al Ghul
Film
2005
7.7
Ashes and Snow
as Japanese Narrator (voice)
Film
2005
7.3
Year One in the North
as Komatsubara Hideaki
Film
2005
5.7
Vessel of Sand
as Shuichiro Imanishi
Series
2004
4.0
The Last Samurai
as Moritsugu Katsumoto
Film
2003
7.6
Mibu Gishiden: Shinsengumi de Ichiban Tsuyokatta Otoko
Series
2002
8.0
Hojo Tokimune
as Hojo Tokiyori
Series
2001
8.0
Ikebukuro West Gate Park
as Yokoyama
Series
2000
7.4
Space Travelers
as Sakamaki ("Crusher")
Film
2000
6.1
Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald
as Raita Onuki
Film
1997
7.6
The Fire Still Burns
as Fujiwara Tsunekiyo
Series
1993–1994
Oda Nobunaga
Film
1992
8.0
Baian the Assassin
as Fujieda Baian
Series
1991
10.0
Masamune Shogun
as 伊達政宗
Series
1987
9.0
Hanekonma
as Genzo Onodera
Series
1986
8.0
Tampopo
as Gun
Film
1985
7.8
이 필터에 맞는 작품이 없어요.
아직 발표된 작품이 없어요.
대표작
8.4
Film
Inception
Saito
2010
7.9
Series
Tokyo Vice
Hiroto Katagiri
2022–2024
7.7
Film
Batman Begins
Ra's al Ghul
2005
6.4
Film
Godzilla
Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
2014
6.7
Film
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Dr. Ishiro Serizawa
2019
7.0
Film
The Creator
Harun
2023
6.9
Film
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Lieutenant Hide Yoshida
2019
6.0
Film
Transformers: Age of Extinction
Drift (voice)
2014
0.0
Series
The Fire Still Burns
Fujiwara Tsunekiyo
1993–1994
7.6
Film
Memoirs of a Geisha
Chairman
2005
7.6
Film
The Last Samurai
Moritsugu Katsumoto
2003
7.9
Film
Isle of Dogs
Head Surgeon (voice)
2018
7.9
Film
Kokuho
Hanjiro Hanai
2025
7.5
Film
Letters from Iwo Jima
General Tadamichi Kuribayashi
2006
7.6
Film
Welcome Back, Mr. McDonald
Raita Onuki
1997
9.0
Series
Masamune Shogun
伊達政宗
1987
6.1
Film
Space Travelers
Sakamaki ("Crusher")
2000
5.7
Film
Year One in the North
Komatsubara Hideaki
2005
7.4
Series
Ikebukuro West Gate Park
Yokoyama
2000
7.1
Film
Kensuke's Kingdom
Kensuke (voice)
2024
8.8
Series
The Secret Lives of Kyoto Folk
東雲朔太郎
2015–
6.1
Film
Shanghai
Tanaka
2010
7.8
Film
Tampopo
Gun
1985
9.3
Series
Unbound
Tamema Okitsugu
2025
7.7
Film
Earth
Narrator (voice)
2007
8.0
Series
TRUE COLORS
Taichirou Tsujimura
2025
7.3
Film
Ashes and Snow
Japanese Narrator (voice)
2005
8.0
Series
Hanekonma
Genzo Onodera
1986
5.5
Film
Bel Canto
Katsumi Hosokawa
2018
5.9
Film
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant
Mr. Tall
2009
4.0
Series
Vessel of Sand
Shuichiro Imanishi
2004
8.0
Film
Oda Nobunaga
1992
6.9
Film
Rage
Yohei Maki
2016
8.0
Series
Mibu Gishiden: Shinsengumi de Ichiban Tsuyokatta Otoko
2002
6.5
Film
Fukushima 50
Masao Yoshida
2020
6.2
Film
The Sea of Trees
Takumi Nakamura
2016
5.3
Film
7 Guardians of the Tomb
Father
2018
8.0
Series
Hojo Tokimune
Hojo Tokiyori
2001
7.0
Series
Toubousha
2020
10.0
Series
Baian the Assassin
Fujieda Baian
1991
6.7
Film
All Lives
2024
9.4
Film
The Final Piece
Shigeyoshi Toumyo
2025
8.8
Film
Samurai Vengeance
Kinji Shinoda
2026
8.0
Film
True Love: Making The Creator
Self
2023
7.0
Film
劇場の灯を消すな！PARCO劇場編
2020